Fluid flow control apparatus



Sept. 6, 1960 A. H. JOHNSON FLUID FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS Filed June 6, 1957 8 5 mm a on Q INVENTOR ARTHUR H. JOHNSON ATTRNEY 7 mm $565 8 1 20E mm Q 3 E 56% United States Patent FLUID FLOW CONTROL APPARATUS Arthur H. Johnson, Rock Island, 111., assiguor to The Bendix Corporation, a corporation of'Delaware Filed June 6, 1957, Ser. No. 664,127 9 Claims. 01. 141-293) This invention relates to fluid flow control apparatus and especially to apparatus for filling closed fluid containers.

While it has broader application, the invention is particularly advantageous when used in connection with filling the liquid container in liquid-to-gas conversion systems such, for example, as the liquid oxygen converters used in aviators respiratory gas supply systems. One object of the invention is to provide improved filling control apparatus for this application.

When filling a container with liquid, it is necessary to vent the. space above the liquid to prevent building up a pressure which would oppose entry of the liquid. Where the container is to be sealed from the atmosphere, the Vent connection includes a vent valve; and an object of the invention is to provide means for opening and closing the vent valve automatically as the liquid sup ply outlet is connected to and disconnected from the filling inlet of the container. The supply outlet is usually provided with a shut-01f valve which is kept closed until the supply outlet and filling inlet are connected. Another object of the invention is to provide means for automatically opening and closing this valve as the outlet and inlet are connected and disconnected.

Stated more broadly, it is an object of the invention to provide novel means by which all of the connections required for filling the liquid container will be completed as the supply outlet is connected to the filling inlet and returned to their initial condition as the outlet and inlet are disconnected. In liquid oxygen conversion systems, one of the connections to be changed during filling of the container is in a pressure build-up circuit which extends from the liquid phase to the gas phase of the container. A normally open valve in this circuit is advantageously closed during the period in which the container is being filled. Automatically closing and opening this valve is another object of the invention.

In practice, the pressure exerted on the supply of liquid oxygen in its storage container and the pressure in the liquid container of the converter will vary over a wide range. The pressure behind the supply and vent valves will vary accordingly, so that while a greater force may be required to. open the supply valve at one occasion, at the next occasion, a greater force may be required to open the vent valve. In this connection, an object of the invention is to provide a novel automatic valve actuating structure which will insure proper valve operation despite wide variation in the amount of force required to actuate one or more than one of the valves.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention, among them the provision of apparatus which can be made in compact, light weight, reliable form commensurate with requirements for use in aircraft, will hereinafter become apparent.

Certain of these objects are realized in the invention by the provision of a valve actuator, engageable with the valves as the supply outlet and filling inlet connectors are brought into engagement, and a section in the outlet 2,951,515 Patented Sept. 6, 1960 of a type advantageously carried in aircraft and used to convert liquid oxygen to gaseous oxygen which is then supplied to the aviators respiratory apparatus. The system comprises a container for the liquid and various circuits, the connection of some of which must be changed when the container is to be filled. It further comprises means for automatically making the required circuit changes as the system is connected to and disconnected from the liquid supply source.

That portion of the container which holds the body of liquid is referred to as its liquid phase; and the space within the container above the liquid, and in which the evaporated liquid is contained, is called its gas phase. Liquid trickles through a trap in the liquid phase of the container to a gas utilization circuit which usually includes evaporating and warming coils and gas regulators not shown in the drawing. This circuit need not be changed when the container is filled.

Except that some gas may be fed through the gas utilization circuit, the system is closed. Accordingly, the system, and preferably the container, must be vented when it is being filled lest gas pressure build-up in the system oppose entry of the liquid. As shown, a normally closed venting circuit is provided which is opened when the container is to be filled.

The filling circuit extends from a trap in the liquid' phase of the container to a filling connection which is adapted to be coupled to the outlet of a liquid storage container. Both the filling connection of the converter system and the outlet connection of the liquid supply storage contained, must be closed except during filling.

The liquid container is usually well insulated to prevent the liquid from being evaporated too rapidly and is usu-. ally so well insulated that an unduly long period would be required to evaporate enough of the liquid to build up: the required operating pressure in the gas phase of thecontainer. This problem is solved in certain' liquid-gas; converters by the inclusion of an external build-up circuit which extends from the liquid to the gas phase of the container and includes evaporating and warming coils; and a pressure operated valve to close the circuit when the required pressure has been reached in the container; When the venting circuit is opened, pressure in the gas phase of the container will be relieved and the pressure operated valve will open. Means are advantageously provided to avoid wasting the gas which would otherwise flow into the container through the build-up circuit and out through the venting circuit. Such means are provided in the invention and, in the form shown, comprise a normally open valve in the build-up circuit which is closed automatically when the container is to be filled.

The means for automatically opening and closing the several circuits while the container is being filled advantageously comprises a structure which includes portions of said circuits and their valves and which utilizes the pressure required ,to seal the supply outlet and the fill inlet to actuate those valves. This structure, which has been named a fill-and-vent valve, may advantageously have the form shown in the drawing where it is generally designated by the numeral 10. The body of the fill-and-vent 10b which are fixed relative to one another and advau- I connector 31 into the interior or said connector.

tag'eously joined into a unitary valve body 11, as shown, which may be arranged to advantage, as illustrated, so that the build-up and vent circuits and their respective valves are located at one end of the body 11 whereas the filling circuit is located at the other end of the body.

The heads 12 and 13 of the build-up and vent valves, respectively, may be combined in a single valve head structure 14, disposed in a valve cavity 15 in body 11 and reciprocally movable between the build-up valve seat 16 and the vent valve seat 17. The vent valve is normally closed and the build-up valve is normally opened by a bias spring 18 which biases the valve head structure 14 toward vent seat 17 and away from build-up seat 16. The vent valve seat opening 17a communicates with the atmosphere through a vent passage 19. The build-up valve seat opening 16a connects to the build-up circuit which begins at a trap 20 in the liquid phase of the container and extends through an evaporating and warming coil 21, a pressure shut-off valve 22 land the gas conduit 23 to said build-up valve seat opening 16a. The valve cavity 15 is connected by a vent conduit 27 to the gas phase of the double-walled liquid container 28. During normal operation of the converter system, the build-up circuit is completed from the liquid phase of the container to the gas phase of the container through build-up valve 12-16 and the venting conduit 27.

The filling circuit begins at the open end 30 of a cylindrical, cup-shaped, fluid receiving or inlet connector head 31 and extends through openings 32 at the end wall of the shell, through a fill passage 33 in body 11, past a spring closed check valve which may, as shown, be located within body 11, and thence through a fill conduit 35 to a trap 36 in the liquid phase of the container.

The end 30 of inlet connector 31 is formed to engage or mate with the end 40 of the supply head or connector head 43 which is normally held against seat 42 by a bias spring 44.

In the invention, means are provided for moving valve head 43 to open the supply connector and for moving the valve head structure 14 to open and close the venting and build-up circuits, respectively, as the supply connector 41 is brought into engagement with the inlet connector 31. These means may comprise an actuator adapted to engage head 43 and head structure 14 as the supply connector 41 is moved toward the fill-and-vent valve 10. Advantageously, it comprises an actuating rod 45 engageable with and extending from head 14, to which it advantageously may be fixed, as shown, through a sealing member 46 and a filling passage 33 and through the end wall 47 of inlet In the form shown, rod 45 is provided with two spaced collars 49 and 50 connected to the rod on opposite sides of the connector end wall 47. The latter is held against collar 49 by a compression spring 51 coiled around rod 45 and bearing against collar 50 at one end and against end wall 47 at its other end.

The inlet connector 31 is disposed in a cylindrical bore 52 in the valve body 11 and is free to reciprocate in the bore either with the rod 45 as it is moved, or relative to the rod by compression and expansion of coiled spring 51.

As supply connector 41 is moved toward the fill-andvent valve 10, an actuating structure associated with the supply valve head 43 and represented as a projection 55, is engaged by the end 56 of actuating rod 45. The supply valve bias spring 44 is stiffer than the build-up and vent valve head bias spring 18. Assuming that the container and build-up circuit are not pressurized, upon continued movement of the supply connector 41 toward the filland-vent valve, the stronger spring 44, acting through supply valve head 43 and projection 55, will force the 7 5 actuating rod 45 and valve head structure 14 against bias spring 18 to open the vent valve 1317 and close the build-up valve 1216. During this action inlet connector 31 moves with the rod 45.

The build-up valve head 12 having been pressed against its seat 16, the actuating rod 46 is prevented from further displacement. As movement of the supply connector 41 toward the fill-and-vent valve 10 is continued, the supply valve 4243 is forced open and the end 40 of the outlet connector 41 is moved into sealing engagement with end 30 of inlet connector 31.

The supply connector 41 may be provided, as illustrated, with an outer cylindrical hand hold 57 resiliently coupled to the supply connector by a heavy spring 58. In the form shown, the hand hold extends beyond the end 40 of the supply connector. Its inwardly projecting pins 59 slide in longitudinal slots 60 formed in the valve body 11 as the supply connector is moved toward the inlet connector. The ends 61 of slots 60 are offset laterally permitting the connectors to be locked together by rotation of the hand hold 57 to engage the pins 59 in these oflset slot ends 61. The slots 60 are sufiiciently long so that after the connector ends 40 and 30 are engaged, further movement of the supply connector is required before the pins can be locked in place. This further movement results in compression of spring 51 as the connector 31 is forced back along the actuating rod in the direction of the build-up and vent valves. Being compressed, spring '51 exerts a force against the inlet connector 31 to maintain it in sealing engagement with the end 40 of the supply connector. Upon separation of the connectors, the action of the valves and actuating rods is reversed and ends with closure of the vent valve 1317.

When the build-up circuit and container are pressmiled, at the start of the filling operation, this pressure acts with a substantial force to hold the valve head structure 14 against the vent valve seat 13. In this case, as the supply connector is moved toward the inlet and projection 55 engages actuating rod 45, the rod will be held against movement by head structure 14 and the supply valve will be forced open against its bias spring 44. Thereafter, the supply connector end 40 seats against the end 33 of the inlet connector 31 and the latter retracts to compress the coupling spring 51. As the coupling spring is compressed, the force urging rod 45 against the head structure is increased until the combined force of bias spring 13 and the system pressure are overcome and the head structure 14 is driven away from the vent valve seat 16. After this valve has been opened and the con t ainer vented, separation of the supply connector 41 from the fill-and-vent valve 10 results in the reversed action previously described.

I claim:

1. Fluid flow control apparatus for use with a supply connector provided with a pressure opened supply valve, comprising a first body unit, including a fluid receiving connector arranged to be pressed into connection with said supply connector, a fluid passage having an inlet in said fluid receiving connector, a second body unit fixed relative to said first body unit and including a second passage, a second normally closed valve in the second passage, and means for opening both of said valves as the supply and fluid receiving connectors are brought into engagement, including a movable supply valve actuating member of fixed dimensions engageable with said valves, and means for permitting retraction of said fluid receiving connector relative to said first body section as said connectors are pressed into connection.

2. A valve unit for connection to a supply connector provided with a pressure opened supply valve, comprising a valve body having a fluid receiving connector arranged to connect with the'supply connector, a first passage in the body having an inlet in the fluid receiving connector, a second passage in the body, a spring closed second valve in said second passage, and means for opening the second valve and actuating the supply valve when the supply connector and fluid receiving connector are brought into connection, including a movable supply valve actuating member engageable with said second valve and extending into the fluid receiving connector, and means for shifting said fluid receiving connector relative to said actuating member.

3. Fluid flow control apparatus for use with a supply connector provided With a pressure opened supply valve, comprising a first body unit, including a fluid receiving connector arranged to be pressed into connection with said supply connector and a fluid passage having an inlet in said fluid receiving connector, a second body unit fixed relative to said first body unit and including a second passage, a second normally closed valve in the second passage; means for opening both of said valves as the supply and fluid receiving connectors are brought into engagement, comprising a movable supply valve actuating member engageable with said second valve and including means for exerting pressure on said supply valve as said supply and fluid receiving connectors are brought into engagement, and means for permitting retraction of said fluid receiving connector relative to said first body 1 section as said connectors are pressed into connection;

and means for exerting yieldable valve-opening pressure on said actuating member toward said second valve during :onnection of said connectors, including a spring unit engaging the member and extending into said inlet in position for compression by the fluid receiving connector.

4. Fluid flow control apparatus for connection to a supply connector provided with a spring closed supply valve, comprising a first body unit having a fluid receiving connector arranged to connect with the supply con nector and a fluid passage having an inlet in the fluid receiving connector, 'a second body unit fixed relative to the first body unit and including a second passage, a normally closed second valve located in said second passage and subjected to variable fluid pressure, means for opening the second valve and actuating the supply valve when the supply and fluid receiving connector are brought into connection, including a movable supply valve actuating member engageable with said second valve and extending into the fluid receiving connector, and means insuring closure of the supply valve prior to closure of the second valve upon disconnection of said connectors, including spring means for urging said second valve closed with less than the force with which the supply valve is urged closed by its spring.

5. The invention defined in claim 4 including means for exerting yieldable valve-opening pressure on said member toward said second valve during connection of said connectors, including a spring unit engaging the member andextending into said inlet in position for compression by the fluid receiving connector, whereby valve-closing pressure in said second passage may be overcome.

6. Fluid flow control apparatus for connection to a supply connector provided with a spring closed supply valve, comprising a first body unit having a fluid receiving connector arranged to connect with the supply connector and a fluid passage having an inlet in the fluid receiving connector, a second body unit including second and third passages, a second normally closed and a third normally open valve in said second and third passages respectively, the heads of said second and third valves comprising a unitary valve head structure, means for opening the second valve and closing the third valve and for actuating the supply valve when the supply connector and fluid receiving connector are brought into connection,

including a movable supply valve actuating member engageable with said valve head structure and extending into the fluid receiving connector, and means for retract-. ing said fluid receiving connector relative to said actuating member.

7. Fluid flow control apparatus for connection to a supply connector provided with a spring closed supply valve, comprising a first body unit having a fluid receiving connector arranged to connect with the supply connector and a fluid passage having an inlet in the fluid receiving connector, a second body unit including second and third passage and a fourth passage connected thereto and subjected to variable pressure, a second normally closed and a third normally open valve in said second and third passages respectively, the heads of said second and third valves comprising a unitary valve head structure, means for opening the second valve and closing the third valve and for actuating the supply valve when the supply connector and fluid receiving connector are brought into connection, including a movable supply valve actuating member engageable with said valve head structure and extending into the fluid receiving connector, and means for retracting said fluid receiving connector relative to said actuating member, and means for exerting yieldable valve-opening pressure on said member toward said valve head structure during connection of said connectors, including a spring unit engaging the member and extending into said inlet in position for compression by the fluid receiving connector, whereby pressure in said fourth passage acting on said valve head structure may be overcome.

8. Apparatus for filling the container of a liquid-gas converter system, of the type having a container venting circuit and a pressure build-up circuit between the liquid phase and the gas phase of the container, from a liquid supply connector containing a spring closed supply valve, comprising a normally open build-up circuit valve, a normally closed venting circuit valve, a liquid receiving connector arranged for connection to the liquid phase of said container and adapted to connect to said supply connector; means for opening the supply and venting circuit valves and closing the build-up circuit valve as said connectors are connected, including a movable valve actuator engageable with said valves as said connectors are brought into connection and means for retracting said liquid receiving connector relative to said actuator during connection of said connector; and means for exerting yieldable valve-opening pressure on said actuating member when said actuator is retracted, including a compression spring connecting said actuating member and the liquid receiving connector.

9. The invention defined in claim 8,, including means insuring closure of the supply valve prior to closure of said venting circuit valve and opening of said build-up circuit valve upon disconnectionof said connectors including spring means urging said venting circuit valve closed and said build up circuit valve open with less than the force with which the supply valve is urged closed by its spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,401,674 Vizay June 4, 1946 2,548,368 Hartley et al Apr. 10, 1951 2,649,109 Samiran Aug. 18, FOREIGN PATENTS 715,383 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1954 

